The Count Form
After a number, a masculine thing takes -а or -я: два стола (two chairs), пет града (five cities).
How It Works
When to use it
Use the count form for masculine nouns that name things, not people, after:
- numbers from two up: два стола, пет града, десет килограма
- колко (how many): Колко часа?
- няколко (a few): няколко часа
- толкова (so many): толкова въпроса
How to form it
Add -а, or -я for soft nouns, to the singular: стол → стола, град → града, кон → коня. Unlike the ordinary plural, the count form often avoids a consonant change: вестник has the plural вестници, but the count form is simply два вестника. Some stems still change: метър → два метра loses ъ. The stress is never on the last syllable: два гра́да.
When not to use it
- after много and малко: много столове (many chairs)
- with feminine and neuter nouns: две книги, три села
- with masculine nouns for people: пет ученици (five pupils), трима приятели (three friends). See Numbers for Groups of Men.
Special cases
Ден (day) has both два дни and два дена. Път meaning "time" gives три пъти (three times). An adjective between the number and the noun has its own rule; see Adjectives Between a Number and a Noun.
Same look, different job
Стола is also the short article form, "the chair": Седни на стола. The number before it tells you which one it is. See The Masculine Articles -ът and -а.
Examples (6)
- В кухнята има четири стола.
There are four chairs in the kitchen.
- Посетихме пет града.
We visited five cities.
- Колко часа работиш?
How many hours do you work?
Колко also takes the count form.
- Купих три хляба.
I bought three loaves of bread.
- Колко молива имаш?
How many pencils do you have?
- В класа има двадесет ученици.
There are twenty pupils in the class.
Ученик names a person, so it keeps the ordinary plural ученици.
Common Mistakes
Using the ordinary plural after a number.
Имам два моливи.Имам два молива.After a number, a masculine noun for a thing takes the count form in -а or -я.
Using the count form after много.
В стаята има много стола.В стаята има много столове.Много is not one of the counting words, so it takes the ordinary plural. The count form follows only numbers, колко, няколко and толкова.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The count form needs numbers and masculine nouns.
Related Patterns
- два/двеThe Number Two
Два, the masculine form of two, which is followed by the count form.
Level 1 - Plural in -овеPlural Ending -ове
The ordinary plural of short masculine nouns, used when there is no number.
Level 1 - двама/тримаNumbers for Groups of Men
The forms for groups of men, which take the ordinary plural.
Level 2 - Adjectives Between a Number and a Noun
What happens to an adjective between the number and the noun.
Level 3 - -ът/-аThe Masculine Articles -ът and -а
The short article -а, which can look like the count form.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Count Form in Bubblegum
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